Oh, my dear people, how do you do?
This is my letter to you
From behind the screen of teeth of black death
The birthplace of Triveni
Hard battlefield where swords and guns parade
I am penning this letter from the hills of the North.
The sinners are with passionate intensity
To rout humanity invaluable
The brutes are butchering
Truth ,love and cordiality.
These are not fisticuffs over the border between two
This is a problem pestering and defying peace
To die like a dog anonymously or
To be victorious for life meaningful.
This is no war- execution of Rama’s job
Being awake round the clock- elimination of Mahishasura
Life or death, the banks of Ganges holy
Doing lord’s job- body is bubble momentary.
Why my name brother? I’m a soldier
Son of a widow helpless
Sticking to life somehow in vicissitudes of life
Mother nurtured me in her palms pious.
Narrow gullies, compounds, bullock carts
Small huts a feast to eyes
Crop fields , swaying of crop
Colours of Kalankari decors of skirt of the rustic lass
The shining eyes of the cow bathing in twilight ,
crying ‘ amba’ and licking the calf.
It’s three days
Since I waited in this trench
Raising smoke-exploding bombs-burning fires
Ditches where stretch blue shadows of the angel of death.
Peaceful ambience for a while
What does peace mean in soldier’s slang?
Someone’s cries are piercing my ears
Heard are sounds of beards of the cunning.
In bone-eating cold ,legs and hands are going thick
Blood is thick-eyes hopeless
Moving are warm memories
Time and again
In the heart
Affection cool of mother afar
Sweet innocence of wife dear
Tender lips of toddler that
Smile in chirping of sparrows
Are moving warmly in my heart
Recalled again and again.
Seen are kind eyes of mother
Streaming down are warm tears
Wet are the cheeks of wife consoling the mother
Baby in the lap is swallowing hiccups
Mother’s only prop is the radio of Panchyat office
Lying in a cot today
Looking at star shining in the sky
Her glance is running towards it repeatedly
Let someone tell her to remain bold
And shower her blessings on my head
Mother ! why do you worry?
I am going ahead thinking of you
Ending the cunning
Tearing into pieces
The steel beaks of vultures cruel
Will decorate in your neck
The title of ‘heroic mother’ as a garland
Promise on your breast holy that nurtured me
Holding gun in my hand
If I could return from battle field
And see you my mother
Will salute your feet and kiss your hands
Take the dust at your feet as mark on my forehead
And turn into a hero real
Come mother! Whatever may come
Will never bring dishonor to you.
Who are you! Why are you crying!
Standing beside mother, why shed tears
Like wick of candle burning and melting every second
Like a bunch of small flowers shaken to the cyclonic wind.
A day of disaster, yield not to despair
With sighs of dejection eternal, don’t be depressed
Lose not courage in your heart
And sink in sorrow deep
In this miraculous and holy moment
No streams of tears in a manner unholy.
This is time for prayer and worship
The doors of temple of kali, the mother of world are open
Bring in incense and holy rice
Red flowers bloomed in showers of tears
No, my darling, this is matter of one or two
It’s a time of crisis for the country entire
Hundreds and thousands are marching forward
Giving up their lives in task holy.
Such highest fortune is rare
In one’s life
In my hearts of hearts anguish indefinable
To see you once before my death
To bathe in golden light of pasupu and kumkuma
The lights of your eyes are streams of new life in me
Time for sacrifice but not for thought
Beaten the drum of India victorious
Marched ahead procession of victory
If you have any love for me
Remove the feeling of being orphans
From the hearts of our children courageous
As adults they must move with heads raised
And feel elated of their father’s name.
Woman of compassion! Wipe out your tears!
Overcome your sorrow like a heroine
Fulfillment of duty! A sure moment of hard test!
Woman’s life has been like that
Flames of sorrow in heart
Smiles radiating on lip.
Woman’s life has been like that.
Give harati to my pledge of honour
Uphold and salute for India’s honour
Teach your children how to pay with fire
This is our gift to our children
Confluence of Triveni- prowess, bravery and sacrifice,
I will come back again
Like a smiling and victorious flag
The pledge of Nara, the bearer of Gandiva
Dancing on the ends of my tongue
No going backwards
Forever going forwards
I will certainly bring back
Precious garland of victory
Will sing a song of liberation
For our land under occupation.
See I am burning now
On peaks of hills snow-capped
Burning bright
And bursting darkness dense on moonless nigh.
Sacrificing blood warm like ghee never-ending
One light of India divine and prosperity everlasting.
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